Title worthy for him

Summary: Title are used to describe people. Whether they are kind, wise or a great man. Whether they bad, cruel or wicked villain. Which was best to describe the Second Emperor of Kou Kingdom, Ren Koutoku?

Chapter 1

"Hey, Koutoku what are you doing?"

That
sudden voice woke him up from his slumber. He immediately opened his eyes only
to a golden decoration of dragon circling a pearl at the ceiling of his chamber
bed. His breath heavily as an enormous pain stung him from inside of his body.
Even as his body was covered with sweat, he still felt hot.

"Your...majesty..."
One of his royal physicians came to check on his condition. His hand which was
covered with reddish itchy boils was held by the physician. He could see that
the physician tried hardly to endure the feeling of nauseas. The red boils that
covered his whole body also gave out stinky pungent smell that makes everyone
to vomit even as they smell it from a mile away.

After
the usual check up, a few other physicians stepped forward to put on lotion
made from a mixture of aloe vera and goat milk to his skin. The lotion,
although help reduce itchiness but only last for a few moment. After that, he
will again felt itchy and feverish. . He just led them do whatever they want
without having any intention of speaking up. No matter what they tried to do,
he will not heal from this disease.

"Koutoku, come on!"

The
voice that what was calling for him a moment ago echoed again in his head. He
believed that because of fever he started to hallucinate about his past
memories. He then closed his eyes as he wished that his slumber could take him to
the distant past about twenty years ago.

"Koutoku!"

Koutoku
who was entertained by five courtesans looked surprised to see his brother, the
newly crowned First Emperor of The Kou Kingdom decided to show his face in the
lowly in the brothel house. His older brother must hear about his visit to the
brothel from his loyal bodyguard that sent from his older brother to watch over
him.

"Brother...no...your
majesty, do not be such a spoil sport. Here let have some wine to celebrate
your coronation." Koutoku said in drunken state.

"Koutoku,
are you keen on tainting our royal family name?" Hakutoku asked bitterly.

"Our
royal family name? What does that have anything to do with me? You are the
emperor not me. I am only the second son of the late Kou King." Koutoku
said gleefully.

"I
know that you are grieving over you wife death but you still have children. You
still have Kouen and Koumei. They need you to guide them."

"I
heard about the new decree. Are you sure you will be okay to see the massacre
of the Go royal family? Especially, seeing their children' death? Are you ready
to be tainted with their innocent blood?" Koutoku asked with a cynical
tone.

"You...!"
Hakutoku grabbed Koutoku's collar robe as he punched his younger to his face. The
punch caused Koutoku to fell to the ground.

"You
are no longer a brother of mine." Hakutoku said in a disappointed tone as he left
the brothel together with his royal bodyguards.

Koutoku
caught a glimpse of people in the brothel who looked amusingly toward him. He
knew in their mind he was a pathetic worthless lord. However, he could not
careless. He just smirks as he dozed up like any other drunken man. Koutoku
stood up with the help of his servant. He was dragged to his carriage.

Suddenly,
a pigeon bird flew and settles down at the window panel of his carriages. The
pigeon's neck was tied with a metal bottle. He dropped his act as he solemnly
took the small metal bottle as he opened it. A small but long piece of paper
was found in roll inside of the bottle. Koutoku roll the paper to the metal
bottle; it is the way to decipher the code letter.

"We,
the Go remaining royalty

had
already aboard the ship.

We
are forever at your debt.

Lord
Koutoku."

Koutoku
sighed in relief. He was worried that his plan did not work. He was using
himself as a decoy so that the remaining Go royal family were able to escape to
an inhabitated island at the end of Tenzan plateau. It is only a matter of time
before his brother realised that a ship containing Go royal member had set sail
leaving the newly founded Kou Kingdom.

"Better
get ready for our second act." Koutoku said to his retainer. He already
arranged another identical ship to be burnt to make impression that all Go
royal family died in that ship.

"My
lord, why are you helping the Go royal family?" His retainer asked.
Helping the Go royal family who were wanted is considered to be treason.

"It
is for my brother sake." Koutoku answered. "Because I do not wish he has
so many innocent bloods in his hand. He maybe an emperor but he is also a man.
How hard it was for him to gave a decree to execute all family royal of Go
because of the pressure from the nobles. How can he survive when he saw baby
and young children to be murdered just so he can maintain his sovereignty?"

"This
shall be the last you see me. After you set the fire to identical ship as the
one containing the Go royal families, you will forget everything about this
incident and also about me." Koutoku tapped his retainer's shoulder.

His
retainer froze for a moment before shove with laughter. "What are you
talking about, my lord? I will never leave your side."

"I
am just teasing you he he..." Koutoku smiled naughtily as he ordered his
loyal servant quickly to the sea where a ship was waiting to be burnt.

Koutoku's
face changed when his retainer was no where to be seen. He had given his
retainer a special powder drug made by one great magician during the time he
tapped his retainer shoulder. The drug will cause his retainer to lose his
memories. Memories that Koutoku had said to his retainer just a few moment ago.

"Sometime
in order to protect something, we need to sacrifice certain thing..."
Koutoku burn the code letter. "Even if it I have to sacrifice a family
ties...or friendship!"

The
sound of his chamber door open stopped his chain of thought. His inability to
move prevented him from knowing who dare to enter his royal private chamber.
However, the strong scent of orchid hinted him of his visitor identity.

"Empress..."
He said as his eye pupils turn to his other side of the bed. Gyokuen stood
together with two of palace maids; one of the maiden carried a tray with a bowl
of herbal medicine.

"Your
majesty." The empress curtsied gently as she flashed a pleasant smile
toward Koutoku. Koutoku was dazed at his empress beauty which never faded even
after more than twenty years he had known her.

"As
usual, I brought medicine to reduce your pain. May your majesty recovered from
your illness," Gyokuen said as she sobbed sadly.

Koutoku
stared at her as he raised his hand toward her. Gyokuen bend her upper body
toward the sick emperor.

Gyokuen
still able to maintained her fake smile. "Leave us. I would like to have a
heart to heart conversation with my beloved emperor."

"Yes,
your majesty."

After
the two palace maids left the Kou's emperor private chamber, Gyokuen's face
changed. Her gentle and elegance face turn cynical and neurotic.

"Why
the sudden change in your words, your majesty? You sadden me." Gyokuen
said with fake tone of sadness. "I understand. This must be because of
your illness. Please, take this medicine. I boiled it myself."

Koutoku
refuse to drink the medicine as he smirked weakly. "Lately, I am getting
tired to play with you tune. Maybe it is because of the medicine that you
'boiled' yourself."

Gyokuen
just smirked. She was not surprised that Koutoku knew about the poison that she
put on the herbal medicine. She knew he would not have any other choice than to
drink it anyway. There is no use to tell anyone; everyone in the Kou's palace was
on her side.

"My
days are numbered. Maybe it is time for us to have a real 'heart-to-heart'
conversation, Gyokuen." Koutoku said softly as he had only little energy
left.

"Very
well, let me do this one good deed for you, Koutoku." Gyokuen sat in the
chair situated just beside Koutoku bed. She crossed her leg as she grinned
evilly. Her eyes started to change. Her white eyes turned to black while her
black pupil turned to red.

"When
you choose to marry me, I thought you are the most despicable, wicked and
greedy man who was willing to marry the wife of his late brother in other to
become emperor. I agree to marry you because to you are worthless and weak
making it easy to control you." Gyokuen said without holding a breath. However
her neurotically face changed as she sighed genuinely. "Just when I
thought that everything is going my way...you are actually the receiver of the
light..."

"How
dare you tricked me?!!!! Do you think you can get away after treating me like
that?!!!" Gyokuen grabbed Koutoku's throat, intent on squeezing the
remaining life out of him. Koutoku struggled to breathe as he also grabbed
Gyokuen's hand.

Suddenly,
Gyokuen released her grip before she grinned. She stared at Koutoku who was weakening
from her attack.

"And for that, you are punished with
worst punishment ever. To die in an image of a tyrant when you are actually
were trying to protect your people. People will spread a story about Emperor
Koutoku, who usurped the throne after his brother death. Your children...they
hate you. You are not a good brother nor are you a devoted father. You are not
even a great emperor. Poor Koutoku, you will die as a lonely and despicable
man. In the end, your sacrifice turns to waste!" she said as she laughed
manically.

Koutoku
was left alone in his royal chamber where no light was able to penetrate the
tightly closed door and window. He who was an emperor was left to die with no
one by his side.

"Ironically,
she was right. A good brother, a kind father or a great emperor; I am none of
those..."

Suddenly
a single form of light appeared in front of him. The white light which took
form of a butterfly was actually a rukh - a soul of death people. The light
from the butterfly-like rukh grew bigger and bigger until it form a shape of a
woman.

"And
yet you are all of those..." The woman sat beside Koutoku as she touched
his cheek lovingly. "In a way they were not able to see or understand..."

"My
beloved 'Jade'..." Koutoku smiled weakly at his beloved late first wife
who came back to him in a form of rukh. He always called her by her nickname
Jade as her real name was Liling which mean 'Beautiful Jade Tinkle'.

"Will
the pain in your heart lessen if I tell you that you are the most kind and
beloved husband of mine?" Liling asked gently. Her eyes looked sad to see
her beloved husband in this kind of condition.

"Your
word... is enough for me... to endure everything..." Koutoku struggle to
speak as his breathing become more difficult. His eyes felt heavy. His body
felt as light as a feather.

"It
is okay, I am here. I will always be by your side until you are able to go with
me to the other side." Koutoku could only hear Liling voice as his eyes
closed down.

A
good brother, a devoted father or a great emperor, none of those titles bear
any meaning for him.

Even
if he had to endure loneliness...

Even
if everyone turns their back own him...

He
would never blame them.

Because
love mean sacrifice and because of his love for his brother, his children and
his people; he, Ren Koutoku, would sacrifice everything....

Write a Review
Did you enjoy my story? Please let me know what you think by leaving a review! Thanks,
lavenderfemme

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This is my first book reading on here and I absolutely loved it! If you like a book that'll keep you up late at night then this is your go to. What makes this novel so special is that it shows that even if your not blood related some people would put your needs before there's.

Truemy Brewer:
Great first chapter! You tell the story dramatically, but not overly and with just the right amount of words.. There is no cut in the action. I do wonder at the ladies male friend from the village, and what happened to him, but I suppose that will be revealed later. This seems like an epic in the...

Melderise:
This is just an amazing novel that teaches you how to break the bonds of reality. It shows how the most fascinating story can start from the most regular environment and then leading the reader to the dream destinations...

Faye Paul:
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Sandra Estrada:
I loved every minute of it and I thank my lucky stars that brought me to the story, it's been a whirlwind of emotions, plot twist after plot twist but I never got tired of them. Abby and Kade's story is a hard one to understand but once you're submerged in their story and love, you can't help but...

Bernsigns:
This is an age old story, but with excellent plot twists that I didn't see coming. I truly liked how the story slowly, but steadily revealed the secrets. There were secrets I didn't expect, which kept me wanting to read. I always love a happy ending, with a little bit of real life mixed in. Th...